Komatsu pioneers underground shearer automation

Komatsu is optimising remote operations of underground shearers through next-generation software.

The Australian mining industry has already proven that haul‑truck fleets, drill rigs and even crushing circuits can be run from hundreds of kilometres away.

With surface control now commonplace, the next evolution has been shaped by the voice of the operators themselves, extending remote reach right to the coal face by putting every shearer command onto screens in the remote operations room.

A new generation of software, Komatsu’s longwall command and control (LCC) and soft remote operator interface, available on a computer or rugged Android tablet, is turning the shearer into a truly digital asset that can be driven, diagnosed and optimised from a surface‑based remote operations room.

Through a combination of advanced web-based controls, LCC is removing operators from hazardous environments and enabling remote equipment management. This solution allows for centralised management of mining equipment while protecting workers and enhancing site safety.

Adding to this efficiency is Komatsu’s soft remote operations.

At its core, soft remote operations mirror the functionality of a traditional hand‑held HHX radio, but it does so over secure Modbus‑TCP links and with a continuously monitored heartbeat, so the machine runs over a secure data connection and sends a constant ‘I’m okay’ signal. If that signal ever stops, the system instantly shuts the machine down safely.

Remote operators can start motors, tram, range the cutting drums or acknowledge roof support control prompts exactly as they would underground – all from an ergonomic console with dashboards of production and health data.

Traditional pitch steering asks the operator to think in degrees and pass‑counts – hardly intuitive when the goal is simply “lift the floor 75mm through shields 25‑33”. Height‑based pitch steering (HBPS) solves that disconnect.

HBPS is an automated cutting method that applies to the floor drum, positioning the drum at a height that maintains a preconfigured pitch angle of the pans. It accurately plans a cut based on gate road surveys and geological information, with the target angle intended to reflect the actual angle of the seam being mined.

An operator enters a start and end shield, factoring in a correction height, and the LCC converts that figure into a target pan‑line pitch, calculates how many passes are needed, and commands the shearer to execute, then automatically tapers back to the nominal seam angle once the correction is consumed, increasing productivity.

Through Komatsu’s LCC, soft remote operations and HBPS, it’s clear that digital mining is no longer limited to surface haulage or drill and blast.

By pairing Komatsu’s LCC open, web‑first architecture with the soft remote operator station and smart algorithms like HBPS, Australian mines can now bring the most production‑critical piece of underground equipment into the wider automation envelope – safely, productively and with data at their fingertips.

Komatsu’s longwall software, available for both new shearers and retro‑fits, doesn’t deliver quick makeovers, it moves forward in measured steps guided by the crews who live with it shift after shift.

“Our customers log their ideas and pain points through a structured voice-of-the-customer channel,” Komatsu engineering manager control and automation Shane Cooling said.

“Engineering then prototypes the highest value fixes on an offline test rig, validating each tweak. Only when mine management signs off does the update roll out, which occurs typically during a planned maintenance window, ensuring zero disruption to cutting hours.

“This deliberate, collaborative loop means enhancements arrive a little slower, but land fully proven, while keeping operators out of harm’s way and nudging tonnes per metre a fraction higher – incremental gains that compound across the life of the panel.”